May 1973, Billy Joe Shaver inscribes into outlaw country’s Book of Genesis his Kris Kristofferson-produced debut, Old Five & Dimers Like Me. In June, Willie Nelson fires off Shotgun Willie. July then bows Waylon Jennings covering Shaver exclusively on Honky Tonk Heroes. Subgenre born, God rests – for 20 long years in the wilderness. Billy Joe only puts out five LPs in that time, but when he rebrands as Shaver in 1993 alongside guitar-slanging scion Eddy for Tramp on Your Street, a Lone Star legend finally manifests. From that point forward, Billy Joe can’t lose, beginning with one-off follow-up Highway of Life for Houston’s short-lived but expertly curated Justice Records. Then fell these three dominoes for New West Records. Vast majority to hell and gone out of print, Shaver’s catalog begins its afterlife behind this trio of titles dropping on colored vinyl, boutique packaging, and numbered editions.

Metallic gold and foil jacket, Victory (1998) duets the good “Christian Soldier” and his kid: twang & Dobro, slang & strings. “You Can’t Beat Jesus Christ” or this gospel platter, especially given another mystic reading of the Shaver boys’ immortal “Live Forever” and a naked “Old Five & Dimers.” Overseen by Ray Kennedy, the next year’s Electric Shaver (bitchin’ metallic silver) mostly vamps, yet even second-tier Shaver tastes like steak not burger (“People and Their Problems”). Billy riffing West Texas verse over Eddy’s ear-tickling picking stops trains at every turn (“New York City”). 2001’s The Earth Rolls On (Coke-bottle clear vinyl) seeds a whopping 14 keepers on one single platter replete with sessionistas including Wilco’s Ken Coomer and Jay Bennett, plus Springsteen bassist Garry Tallent. The portrait of father (1939-2020) and son (1962-2000) on the inner sleeve alone bristles. Fiddle hoedown (sequel “New York City Girl”), loping kiss-off (“You’re Too Much for Me”), and the entire second side raise ecstatic, soul-baring expressionism. Tramp on Your Street next, please.

Shaver

Victory (New West)
Electric Shaver (New West)
The Earth Rolls On (New West)

This article appears in Best of Austin 2023 (Insert).

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.